KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Over the last few days, a dozen teenagers, between the ages of 16-years-old to 19, were arrested on a variety of charges in separate incidents throughout Kent County.
Tuesday, the Public Safety Committee met for their scheduled meeting at City Hall, in which violence among young adults was discussed.
“Unfortunately we’re seeing there’s more crime and activity that’s happening, really across the country,” said Milinda Ysasi, city commissioner of the 2nd Ward. “I think we’re dealing with challenges in our economy. We just got done with our Public Safety meeting talking about the realities of housing and how its impacting family and youth ages 18-24.”
According to police reports, on Friday night, four teens were arrested for break-ins in Kent County. Then two days later, two 19-year-olds were arrested in connection to a shooting in Wyoming, while in a separate incident, three teens were taken into custody after stealing from unlocked vehicles. Then Monday morning, three teens were arrested after burglarizing a smoke shop in Coopersville.
“When we have young people who are involved in our criminal legal system, it is always challenging because we want to make sure they have the opportunity to hopefully fulfill whatever their dream or their connection is. That’s why I chair the SAFE Task Force, it’s important to me,” Ysasi said. “It’s impacted myself, my family, and I know so many others who come to our city commission meetings.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, GRPD gave an update, she said, in which commissioners were told that more handguns were taken off the street in the last two years than in 2020.
However, moving forward she said the mission is to continue working with SAFE — Safe Alliances For Everyone — to help reduce violence among the city’s population of ages 15-24.
“The focus will continue to be on our SAFE Task Force winners who, we had five from the fall,” Ysasi said. “They’re working right now to create impactful programs especially during the summertime because we know that’s when we start to see more activity.”
